Bangka Island V Raja Ampat

[Luko]

it is fished out totally in my eyes !

Really?
On my part, I still think there's still fish if you look for them.

 

[chillyinCanada]

LOL

Nice shots Luko. When did you take them?

 

[Luko]

i can't think how was twenty years ago with sharks and other predators everywere.... :-(

I first dived Sahaung 16 years ago, there were more middle sized fish like schools of fusiliers for instance, some spanish mackerels here and there, but I don't remember bigger fish than what you still can see, never seen any other sharks there than the puppies under the coral tables.

 

[Luko]

LOL

Nice shots Luko. When did you take them?

A month ago.

 

[Luko]

I heard Alor is not that great and certainly not for big schools and big stuff ?

Go on Youtube, search for "Alor Hammerheads" and check by yourself whether it's great or not.
Having dived 5 times on that spot called either Current Alley or Yellow Corner with a success rate above 50% I can witness this is what you can actually see.

 

[Dan]

What is the amount now through you . . .I have a friend who may be interested.

$4850 + $250 for marine park & harbor fee (P&H)

This is how it works:
The retail cost listed in Blue Manta is $6000 + $250 (P&H)
White Manta Diving - Home offers 1 free of charge (FOC) for a group of 6. So, I spread the FOC equally amongst 6 of us ($1000 off each).
By booking it through Bluewater Dive Travel each of us gets another $150 off. Therefore $6000 - $1150 = $4850.

The $250 marine park & harbor fee is on top of the price & undiscounted obviously. The liveaboard just passes that fee to all divers.

I’m just putting together the group and paying the same discounted price as the other 5 divers. As the group leader I do get to choose when is the best time to go, which boat would we go with & get the first pick of the cabin that I’d like to stay.

 

[Luko]

You may not find Alor hot but guaranteed that I will. I love corals but do like to also see lots of fish and critters!

Must have air conditioning! What about a liveaboard?

Check out my Flickr Alor gallery in my signature, guaranteed you will find critters, corals and fish altogether

I don't have any HH to show but that's only because with a fisheye wide angle I need to be very very close to the subjects, hence definitely not fitted for any kind of sharks.

Don't make the mistake to dive Alor on a Liveaboard, it's a very tricky place where currents need to be known excatly as well as the behavior of the fish. So the local operations will know about so much more than the liveaboards.

And for aircon, like Dan I can also testify that you don't need any at Alor Eco Divers where it's quite breezy ...unlike staying in LBJ/Komodo for instance.

 

[Wingy]

Have have to agree with Luke Almitch and others who have said while Bangka is great (I developed a Bangka Sauhong fetish about a decade ago) two weeks would drive you nuts.

So scuba hubby, Alor - and yes, it's a bitch to navigate around so land based advise may be sound. Diving has always been magnificently remote.

Not sure what's going down at Gorontalo if you are Sulawesi focused, I can see what I can find out. Big fish country?

I'm going to throw this in the mix because I've heard amazing stories yet only met one diver who had been there and just parted company with another diver headed there - East Timor. Newest country on earth but expensive as hell.

Also heard Christmas Island which is a former mine/immigration centre has been promoted as a dive destination in France and Switzerland. I know there is good diving there, what, I can't say, it's been a long time since I popped over the side for a free dive while the yacht was provisioning. YouTube clips and those that have been there seem to support this. Apparently, hotels are available and it's nicely tropical with the added bonus of a billion crabs going on a march once a year.

As in any destination I'd imagine it wouldn't be cheap - but - the AUD v GBP is loving you at the moment. There is a flight from Jakarta on thursdays.

 

[boletus1973]

I first dived Sahaung 16 years ago, there were more middle sized fish like schools of fusiliers for instance, some spanish mackerels here and there, but I don't remember bigger fish than what you still can see, never seen any other sharks there than the puppies under the coral tables.

eheh... ok luko... maybe 30 years ago was more fishy..... the problem is that every night in the channel between sahaung and the mainland is full of fishing boats.... :-( i love bangka..... this summer i come back for the fifth time, but without dubt overfishing is out of control...... :-(

 

[scubajunky17]

Thanks everyone for your input. Also thanks ScubaWifey, alor does sound pretty good. Is August a good time to go ? Are there many operators there ? I can only see three? How does it compare to RA in the grand scheme of things ?